A disabled person utilizing a walking appliance such as a cane, walker, or a pair of crutches often experiences difficulty opening and closing doors, particularly an exterior door where a gust of wind can easily catch the door and slam it against the outside wall. Hydraulic or spring-loaded door closers are a poor solution to the problem. These door closers make it extremely difficult for a disabled person with a walking appliance to open a door and keep it open while attempting to go through the door opening. The door closer continually presses the door against the person or the walking appliance, making entry difficult and frustrating. Furthermore, the door closer can easily unbalance the disabled person, which may result in injury.
Automatic door openers completely alleviate the problem by sensing the presence of a person and maintaining the door in an open position until the person has passed through the door opening. These automatic door openers are commonly found on commercial establishments. However, the cost of these automatic door openers is absolutely prohibitive for the disabled person in a personal residence, and a much more cost effective door device for opening and closing a door by a disabled person is clearly needed.